1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener, a light source module, and a method of assembling a light source module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light-emitting diodes (LED) have advantages of low power consumption, wide color gamut, and high light directivity. Therefore, in recent years, light-emitting diodes are becoming increasingly important in related fields of lighting and optoelectronic industries and are being applied widely, especially in the field of liquid crystal displays.
In a liquid crystal display, a backlight module uses light-emitting diodes as a light source, and can be classified as a direct-lit backlight module or an edge-type backlight module according to arrangements of the light-emitting diodes. FIG. 1 shows an edge-type backlight module 1 disclosed in Taiwanese patent publication no. 201237506. The backlight module 1 includes a back plate 11, a light guiding plate 12 connected to the back plate 11, a light-emitting diode (LED) light bar 13 disposed on the back plate 11 and capable of emitting light in the direction of the light guiding plate 12, and a retaining member 14 that penetrates the LED light bar 13 for retaining the LED light bar 13 onto the back plate 11.
During the assembly process of the conventional backlight module 1, corresponding drill holes are made in the LED light bar 13 and the back plate 11. Then, the retaining member 14 is passed through the holes for retaining the LED light bar 13 on the back plate 11, thus completing the assembly of the backlight module 1. Screw is commonly used for the retaining member 14, and the LED light bar 13 is thus retained by screwing. However, screwing with the use of the retaining member 14 creates metal debris that are not only difficult to remove, but may also cause damage to the light-emitting diodes, affecting luminous efficiency of the light-emitting diodes, and may even cause situations of short circuiting. Further, in order to ensure the retaining ability of the retaining member 14, the dimensions of the retaining member 14 cannot be too small, so as to provide adequate frictional grip and support forces for retaining the LED light bar 13. However, the retaining member 14 that occupies a significant amount of space contradicts with the emphasis on thinner form factor in manufacturing.
In order to save space, products that use adhesive for attachment now appear in the market. FIG. 2 shows a light source module 2 disclosed in Taiwanese patent publication no. 201204982.
The light source module 2 includes a back plate 21, a light bar 22 disposed on the back plate 21, and a double-sided adhesive 23 for adhering the light bar 22 onto the back plate 21. In addition, there are also products that use magnetic attraction, instead of the double-sided adhesive 23. Although the double-sided adhesive 23 or the magnet can help save space as compared to the use of the retaining member 14 (see FIG. 1), the positioning accuracy and the support provided by the double-sided adhesive 23 and the magnet are relatively poor. If external forces are applied, the relative positions between the light bar 22 and the back plate 21 may deviate easily, resulting in adverse conditions such as hot spot. Furthermore, in order to make possible the precise positioning of the light bar 22, use of the double-sided adhesive 23 or magnets requires much manpower for making minor adjustments and calibration, resulting in an increase in labor costs.